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Archival description
Birds in art -- Early works to 1800
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James Forbes Zoological Drawings

  • CA RBD MSG BW003
  • Collection
  • between approximately 1800 and 1818

Collection consists of 57 illustrations of birds, eggs, snakes, and plants by James Forbes chiefly to illustrate his work "Oriental Memoirs," published in four volumes between 1813 and 1815. The majority of the illustrations are either engraved or hand-drawn and then coloured, and have been cut out and mounted on paper. In many cases, a background has been drawn in and coloured or partially coloured. Approximately thirty of the images depict tropical birds, many from the Indian subcontinent, as well as some from Brazil and Australia. A number of these drawings also feature insects, particularly butterflies, and trees and flowers. Fifteen drawings depict bird eggs, including many of forest birds. The images generally contain captions by Forbes or a contemporary, identifying the subject of the drawing. Some birds are unidentified. Numerous drawings also contain species identifications or annotations in pencil by Henry Mousely, librarian of the Blacker Wood Library at McGill University during the 1920s and 1930s. These drawings are tentatively dated to approximately 1811. A note on one drawing indicates that it was originally based on drawings created during Forbes's voyages during the 1780s, then recopied in 1811. Items 44 through 57 depict snakes and reptiles and are tentatively dated to between approximately 1811 and 1818, based on a small number of drawings which are signed and dated. Many of these drawings of snakes and reptiles feature as plates in Patrick Russell's "A Continuation of an Account of Indian Serpents: Containing Descriptions and Figures, from Specimens and Drawings" (1801).

Forbes, James, 1749-1819

Pintail [female]

Drawing of a female Northern Pintail from a 18th century specimen [modern geographical distribution: North America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Northern South America, and Australia].

Collins, Charles

Mallard [female]

Drawing of a female Mallard from a 18th century specimen [modern geographical distribution: worldwide.] Attributed to Peter Paillou.

Paillou, Peter, approximately 1720-approximately 1790

Blue-winged Teal

Drawing of a Blue-winged Teal from a 18th century specimen [modern geographical distribution: North America, South America, and Western Europe.] Attributed to Peter Paillou.

Paillou, Peter, approximately 1720-approximately 1790

Gargancey [male]

Drawing of a male Garganey from a 18th century specimen [modern geographical distribution: Europe, Asia, and Africa (this specimen is also rare in North America)].

Collins, Charles

Teal m. And [female]

Drawing of a pair of male and female Green-winged Teals from 18th century specimens [modern geographical distribution: North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa].

Collins, Charles

Common Wigeon [male] & [female]

Drawing of a pair of male Eurasian Wigeons from 18th century specimens [modern geographical distribution: North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa].

Collins, Charles

Muscovy Duck

Drawing of a domestic type Muscovy Duck from a 18th century specimen [modern geographical distribution: the United States, Central America, South America, Europe, Southern Africa, and Australia (this specimen is also rare in Southeast Asia).] Attributed to Peter Paillou.

Paillou, Peter, approximately 1720-approximately 1790

Muscovy Duck

Drawing of a domestic type Muscovy Duck from a 18th century specimen [modern geographical distribution: the United States, Central America, South America, Europe, Southern Africa, and Australia (this specimen is also rare in Southeast Asia).] Attributed to Peter Paillou.

Paillou, Peter, approximately 1720-approximately 1790

Long-tailed Duck, female; Eurasian Wigeon, female

Drawing of a female Long-tailed Duck from a 18th century specimen [modern geographical distribution: North America, Europe, and Northeastern Asia] and a female Eurasian Wigeon from a 18th century specimen [modern geographical distrubution: North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa.] Attributed to Peter Paillou.

Paillou, Peter, approximately 1720-approximately 1790

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